Effective Methods for Software and Systems Integration

Boyd L. Summers

• Publisher: Auerbach Publications
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781439876626
• eBook ISBN: 9781466567986
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Information Technology
• Index: Business

Before software engineering builds and installations can be implemented into software and/or systems integrations in military and aerospace programs, a comprehensive understanding of the software development life cycle is required. Covering all the development life cycle disciplines, Effective Methods for Software and Systems Integration explains h

1

Introduction

The primary purpose for the implementation of Effective Methods for Software and Systems Integration does increase communication, knowledge, visibility into the software life cycle, and the importance of integration operations. Readers will find this book informative and interesting and will convey the methods for software and systems integration to be more effective in developmental military and aerospace programs and project development. The software industry/companies could benefit as well by adopting these effective methods. Enjoy the book.

1.1 SOFTWARE AND SYSTEMS INTEGRATION METHODS

To develop, operate, and maintain software and systems integration capabilities inside work product facilities, there must be a major discipline in supporting the entire software life cycle (i.e., planning, systems, requirements, design, builds, installations, integration, subcontractors, quality, and delivery) that does need to be completely understood. The critical understanding and the start of the right disciplines of these methods will empower and achieve effective, flexible, and quality results in an integration environment. The right disciplines are identified in Figure 1.1.

Effective: In the software industry/companies, military and aerospace program and projects do become effective by the implementation of achievable schedules, sound processes, and working solutions for software and systems integration.

Figure 1.1
Start with the right disciplines.

Methods: Provide effective methods to ensure processes and tools improve productivity and prepare for the challenges that have an impact on integration environments.

Software: Software design, code and unit test, plans, and test procedures integrated with applied systems, tell us that the software developed is done right. “Peer reviews” are key.

Systems: Accomplish allocation of software design and engineering practices for systems to be defined and documented as ready for the combination of software and systems integration.

Integration: This is the compass to combine software, systems, firmware, and hardware to work together as one.

This slogan is a reminder of the hard times and trials we face and the experience while software and systems talk to each other and improve software design and development efforts.

TABLE 1.1
Planning and Engineering Task

1.2 PROGRAM AND PROJECT PLANNING

The purpose of program and project planning is to provide the necessary process steps to scope out planning for systems and software design/development within integration efforts. This type of planning will ensure and establish effective plans and results for performing the disciplines for software design/development, processes, and procedures for the implementation supporting software and systems integration activities. The planning and engineering task presented in Table 1.1 explains the disciplines and methods pertaining to communication, planning, risk management, and deployment.

1.3 SYSTEMS DESIGN

The method for systems design is to analyze customer requirements and develop a software design/development migration plan for defining the architecture, components, modules, interfaces, and necessary data for a designed system to satisfy specified requirements. The systems design method is increasingly important as it provides the disciplines required and implemented during software design/development life cycles.

1.4 SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

Defined and documented software requirements provide a systematic approach to development from multiple resources. The results of functional software interfaces, performance, verification, and production with required plans, documentation, and procedures become the basis for software design or development. This effective method is applied for initial development of software requirements and changes to requirement baselines.

1.5 SOFTWARE DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT

The software design/development definition is that of a systematic approach for the creation of software design and its development to reflect design and software definitions applicable to the work product. The resulting method defines details about the work product architecture, behavior, components, and interfaces. The software requirements are established between the elements of the design/development. The documented program and project plan provide traceability according to software-defined processes and procedures.

1.6 SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION

The importance of software implementation is a requirement for informal and formal integration testing in a development, integration facilities, or the software systems integration facility (S/SIF). The software implementation method for testing provides assurance that engineering builds function as expected to enable smooth execution for verification and test activities. An incremental software and test approach adds the functions incrementally in a series of engineering builds. The software design/development matures through a series of engineering builds. As software is tested and demonstrated, build plans are modified for subsequent builds based on lessons learned from previous engineering builds, troubleshooting, and checkout.

1.7 SOFTWARE INTEGRATION

All software delivered or implemented by software integration or testing is processed through a configuration and controlled software library system that maintains the official status accounting for each delivery. The integration tasks require that software design/development and test processes be in place to ensure integration is ready for team troubleshooting and checkout.

1.8 SOFTWARE AND SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

The software and systems integration method provides a consistent approach to effective integration activities. The software units, components, and subsystems are assembled in accordance with defined and documented integration procedures to ensure that the software and systems elements are assembled properly. The integration levels and the development plan (DP) for software determine if constructed elements are ready and subject to verification or validation activities.

1.9 SOFTWARE SUBCONTRACTOR

The software subcontractor roles and responsibilities describe how a program and projects can benefit and rely on outside companies’ resources to provide required software and hardware products to be under contract and effective. The subcontractor presentation to the customer must be understood from the start of the presentation to the end. Questions can be asked by the customer to ensure...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Program and Project Planning
• Chapter 3: Systems Design
• Chapter 4: Software Requirements
• Chapter 5: Software Design
• Chapter 6: Software Implementation
• Chapter 7: Software Integration
• Chapter 8: Software and Systems Integration
• Chapter 9: Software Subcontractor
• Chapter 10: Software and System Delivery
• Chapter 11: Product Evaluation
• Appendix A: Acronyms and Glossary
• Appendix B: Software/Systems Integration Plan
• Appendix C: Software Audit Checklist
• Appendix D: Software Checklist PCA
• Index